


A Novel Injustice

by GalaxyAqua



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Gen, Lawyers, Minor Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-22
Updated: 2015-11-24
Packaged: 2018-04-05 14:03:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4182624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalaxyAqua/pseuds/GalaxyAqua
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At 10:58pm, in a crowded hall, a man died leaving a legacy. Makoto Naegi, up-and-coming defense attorney, takes it upon himself to find the truth behind the death - with an ulterior motive of his own. But when all evidence points to Byakuya Togami as the murderer, Naegi must battle it out in court with the prosecuting prodigy Hajime Hinata; if he is to ever get out of this alive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Right, before I get into this, I want to say that I am by no means a law student or studying law in any sense. Much of the information I know (and will use) is taken from fiction, and if anything is abnormal or way out of proportion, please let me know. However, certain aspects of the legal system may also have been exaggerated for fictional purposes, so don't come in expecting the entire formal ordeal. Thank you.
> 
> Additionally, if you come across a word encased in square brackets, e.g. [INSERT WORD HERE], that means it's a piece of evidence. Just in case you wanted to try figuring out the mystery before our protag does :)

There had been nothing but heightened tension and panic in the room when realization dawned in the eyes of a young, affluent progeny. The sight of the bloodied floor before him. The sharp ticking of the clock. The screaming. The glasses slipping from the bridge of his nose and cracking on the hard, polished floor.

He barely heard the voices buzzing around him. Barely felt the arms wound around his own. The steel digging painfully into his numb wrists, as he was handcuffed and dragged away. His stomach felt like ice. 

His father – his own father – lay mercilessly in the hands of death.

Byakuya Togami had no-one to turn to. They accused him of murder. He had the motives. They had the evidence. He had no alibi. It was a straightforward case. Convict him. He’s guilty. He deserves it.

That’s what they said, anyway.

“Hello? Togami, sir, my name is Makoto Naegi, and I’m a defense attorney. I was contacted by your secretary to defend you in court. Please allow me the honor, and uh, I promise to take care of you!”

“… No.”

“Let me rephrase that. I _want_ to defend you, sir. I will find the whole truth, so that you can rest easy at night … but I need you to work with me here, okay?”

“What does it matter? You’re a simpleton. I’d sooner rot in prison than be adequately defended by the likes of you.”

“Please. I’ll prove you didn’t do it. You’re just going to have to believe in me.”

“Consider this conversation over, Makoto Naegi.”

“And I’ll see you in court, Togami.”

“Go on then. If you want to fail so badly.”

“Your affirmation is all I need, sir. I’ll definitely prove it – and I’ll prove to you that you should never lose hope.”

“Fine, if and only if it will make you go away.”

“Goodbye, sir. Thank you.”

“Leave.”

They all said he was guilty. Naegi read over the case files. It was hard to argue otherwise. The details seemed perfect – so perfectly structured, so carefully constructed – a case logically only leading to one culprit.  

But if he was sure of anything; it would be this:

Byakuya Togami was completely innocent.

And he was going to prove it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sonia Nevermind is French in this story, but all you really need to know is:  
> Mon Dieu! = My God!  
> Au revoir, mon ami = Goodbye, my friend

After being given the all-clear – or what Naegi assumed was the Togami edition of “all-clear” – the attorney immediately went out to investigate the scene of the crime. The trial was to be held in three days, but the prosecutor on the case was the keen-eyed Hajime Hinata he had come across on many an occasion; a lawyer who certainly could not be taken lightly regardless of the case.

Naegi distinctly remembered news of the prosecutor convicting various colorful characters in the past, and believed this to be a case just of that sort. Only, Byakuya Togami, his reluctant client, was absolutely not going to be declared guilty – and Naegi was determined to fulfill his promise on that.

Upon entering the crime scene, and waving a cheerful hand to Detective Kirigiri; the woman in question was dusting various objects for fingerprints with a disgruntled scowl etched across her face; Naegi set to work envisioning how the murder would have taken place.

A public party, it was, and judging by the chalk outline, Papa Togami – er, the late Chief Executive Togami – had been shot in the very center of the room. A daring, but not entirely unlikely location. Careful not to contaminate any potential evidence, Naegi stepped over the leg of a broken chair, and knelt down to view the scene from a lower angle.

[BROKEN CHAIR LEG]

“You won’t find anything on the ground,” the detective informed him, “It’s all been taken in for examination. What’s on the report is all we know so far.”

Naegi nodded his thanks. “And these tables are…?”

“Not important, as far as I’m concerned.” Kirigiri shrugged. “It would be pointless to try to find a clue among all the tables and chairs anyway. The murder happened on the dancefloor. Not a piece of furniture nearby.”

“What about the murder weapon, then?”

“We’ve got it.” She answered coolly, waving a gloved hand dismissively. “The same kinds of pistols used by the police force. Same bullets, too. Now we’re just identifying the supposed owner of it.”

[BULLETS FROM POLICE FORCE]

“So any other suspects would be in same way associated with the police, then.”

“Here’s a guest list.” Kirigiri clicked her tongue, producing a photocopied list from her jacket’s inner pocket. “It’s like an elaborate multiple choice question. You just have to eliminate until the most likely suspects remain.”

[GUEST LIST]

He hesitated a bit in taking it, slightly confused by her analogy. “Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me yet. Once this crime scene is well and truly examined, I’ll have the report for you to pick up tonight.”

“Wow, you’re very… efficient.” Naegi tried to compliment, with a nervous smile on his face; a product of the awe he always held for the ace detective. He never understood how detectives worked, but Kirigiri was one of the best and never missed a single piece of evidence. He was grateful that she was often on his side.

“Thank you.” She replied, shooting him a brief, amused smile. “Now shoo. I’ll keep you updated, now that I know you’re on the case.”

“Thanks, detective.”

“Yes, you’re welcome, now go rescue kittens from trees or whatever it is you attorneys like to do.”

Naegi laughed, and then he was off. Alone, his expression dimmed once more, and he focused on the situation in detail. He had to tread with utmost care, if he was ever going to have a chance to prove his client innocent. In his hands, he held the reports he had been given; time of death known to be 10:58pm, cause of death known to be bullet to the victim’s chest. Witnesses? Naegi squinted, reading the names of those listed. Something else about them caught his eye. Occupations; Waiter, Businessman… Princess?

Deciding that it was better to let it go for the time being, Naegi endeavored to figure out which of the witnesses would be most amiable and which ones would be the easiest to reach from his current location. After a minute of quick calculating, Naegi hopped onto his bike and soon found himself pressing the buzzer of the elaborate mansion belonging to a certain Princess Sonia Nevermind.  

If looks were not deceiving, then she at least lived the life of a princess, he thought.

“Makoto Naegi, defense attorney.” He introduced himself over the intercom, “I’d like to talk to Miss Nevermind, if she’s available.”

“That would be me,” a woman’s voice met his ears, a tinny sound due to the speakers. “I am delighted to oblige such a visit, Monsieur Naegi. Please, do come in.”

The gates opened, in a fairly dramatic manner, before a maid came scurrying over and Naegi was led in. He had to keep his jaw from falling open at every corner onwards. The mansion was, shockingly, larger on the inside than it ever appeared on the outside. Tall windows lined the walls and corridors seeming to never end, and paintings and elegant vases were littered artistically along the edges of rooms and on occasion, flanked the sides of the towering wooden doors as well.

Naegi found himself politely refusing the household tour, imagining that it would take hours away from his life, and was soon led by Princess Nevermind into an extravagant little library, where she told them their conversation was to take place.

“A prosecutor by the name of Hinata stopped by earlier,” she began conversationally, “I’m assuming you’ve come to inquire on Monsieur Togami’s murder also? I have much to speak with you about, if you would be so inclined to listen!”

Naegi nodded, visibly relieved that his first witness was so agreeable. “I just want to know what you saw.” After a moment of contemplation, he lamely tacked on a, “… Your Highness.”

“Most certainly!” the Princess clapped her hands together, ignoring his short display of awkward conduct. In fact, she seemed almost used to it. “Before I begin… you suspect the killer is the victim’s son, oui?”

“A-actually, no.” Naegi hurried to correct. “I’m … I’m defending him. I’m his lawyer.”

“Mon Dieu!” gasped Sonia, a delicate hand over her mouth. She quickly composed herself, blonde hair cascading over her shoulders as she sent her gaze downwards. “My deepest apologies, then. I do so wish that he were innocent, but my testimony can only be seen against him…”

“It’s fine,” Naegi smiled weakly. “I just need to know what happened.”

“Gotcha! Then I shall tell you at once!”

“Gotcha…?” the attorney muttered under his breath, before he directed his full attention towards Sonia Nevermind’s testimony.

She shifted to get comfortable in her seat, placing her hands daintily in her lap. “ _Let’s see…_ I had been invited to the, shall we say, ball, as an honorary guest that night. On behalf of the Novoselic Kingdom, I was to congratulate the Togami conglomerate on their successes and hoped to continue our connections henceforth.”

Naegi hummed to show his understanding, encouraging her to continue.

“It was nearing 11 o’clock when the music had slowed down, and I had decided to speak with the Monsieur – the victim – before my departure. Unfortunately, I had run into two men amidst an argument, and before long… the shots were fired!” She paused briefly, to collect herself. “I did not have a clear view of the exact moment, however, I saw him seconds later, gun in hand, and stock still! As a lamppost! Blonde hair, and crisp white suit… there was no mistaking it. It was Byakuya Togami.”

[SONIA'S TESTIMONY]

Her tale seemed to end there, as Sonia spent a period of silence fiddling with the bracelet on her wrist, gaze averted from that of Naegi’s, whom appeared quiet and contemplative.

“So you’re sure there was no-one else that fits that description?” He pressed, keeping his voice as even as possible. Sonia looked as though she were considering the option.

“Non, there were others,” she decided. “However! I have engaged in conversation with Byakuya before. I shan’t forget his appearance so soon!”

Naegi winced, but nodded his own agreement. “True…”

Sonia seemed contemplative, before she reached into a hidden pocket of her skirt to present him with something. It was a thin, gold-banded sapphire ring, which glinted ever so subtly in the warm lights of the library. “I do not wish to hold an information from you, Monsieur, and perhaps this is important.”  

The attorney blinked, smoothing out his brown hair with an air of apprehension. “Is this a…?”

“It is an engagement ring.” She confessed, though she looked despondent. “The underlying motive of the ball was for Byakuya to take my hand in marriage, however…”

Sonia trailed off, staring at the ring with an intensity that could have crushed it.

“But you have the ring.” Naegi said, assessing her expression carefully. He wasn’t familiar with what these rich people took from marriage, but surely if she was so upset about her fiancé being accused, she wouldn’t testify for it… “That means you accepted, right?”

Sonia looked reluctant to speak, but she eventually shook her head. “… non. I did not.”

“Then why do you have it?”

“He gifted it to me later that evening as an apology for his father’s pushiness.”

Of the little information Naegi had about his client, something about this statement didn’t add up. “That… doesn’t sound like him at all.”

“Oui.” Sonia replied, then quickly pocketed the ring once more. She stood, silently prompting him to do the same. “Monsieur, my deepest apologies, but I must now bid you adieu.”

“Wait, I still have some things I want to ask you,” he protested weakly, but knowing first and foremost not to force witnesses to procure information.

“I shall answer to you in court.” She answered curtly, and the bow in her hair seemed to droop. Regally, she exited and traced their steps back to the front gate, talking as she went. “You are on even grounds with Prosecutor Hinata, at least, when it comes to the information I know.” When they reached the entrance once more, she bowed politely. “Au revoir, mon ami.”

“Um… okay… bye.” Naegi managed to wave, before the grating sounds of the main gate closing was left ringing in his ears. He pulled his reports from his bag and highlighted ‘Sonia Nevermind’ in blue. Something about the other witnesses however, didn’t seem quite right.

The attorney pulled up the guest list for the party, evaluating it as quickly as he possibly could. Looking at his bike, then back at the papers, he made yet another quick decision.

“Time to pay a visit to the police department.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the cameos!

For the chaos that was evening crime, the Towa police department were doing a remarkably good job at keeping the peace, or so Naegi thought as he entered the office to meet constant sounds of phones ringing and police cars coming in and out of the garage like they had a mission to do. Detective Kirigiri, decked in sunglasses and now a ponytail to keep her hair out of the way, was leaning over the front desk discussing matters with the chatty, red-haired receptionist.

“Well, look who it is. The rookie defense attorney.” The detective remarked teasingly, as she regarded Naegi’s uncertain presence coming up behind her.

“Hey, Kirigiri. Everything been holding up?”

“Yeah, as much as it can be.” She flicked a gloved thumb to point at the receptionist, who smiled wryly in response. “Koizumi’s just cataloguing our finds for today. I’ll submit an updated autopsy report to you tomorrow at the latest.”

“Thank you,” he sighed, sending her a grateful look. “You’re the best.”

“Aren’t I just?” She smirked, and Naegi saw Koizumi roll her eyes.

The receptionist relented though, and said, “She’s the most dedicated detective we have, if that tells you anything.”

“She really is.” Naegi told them both, before directing his gaze solely to the detective they spoke of. “Also, uh, quick question.”

“Shoot.” Kirigiri said, crossing her arms over her chest. The sunglasses, rather, made her look more intimidating than less, and Naegi just stopped himself from cowering.

“The people you have listed here under ‘witnesses’…” Readying the highlighted report, the brunet traced his finger along the section in question. “Apart from Miss Nevermind, they were not on the guest list at the party at all. Is that still valid?”

“You have something against waiters and businessmen?” Kirigiri asked, eyebrows raised. “Don’t ask me about the witnesses. If they said they were there, we have to at least consider the chance that they were. There should have been a whole lot more, anyway, but only those three – including Miss Nevermind – decided to speak up about it. Not a lot we can do.”

“That’s awfully suspicious.” Naegi commented, a little disappointed that there was nothing they could do about it.

Kirigiri shrugged, looking pointedly at the clock. “You’ve still got time. It’s only 6pm. Go hunt down one more of those suckers. It’ll give me more time to better your report.”

“Speaking of which, can you believe that Miss Nevermind…”

“Sorry, but I don’t have time to gossip right now, Naegi.” The detective told him, dark gaze piercing through her shades. “You need all the information you can get on this case, because I hate to tell you but Togami’s going to be a dead man if you slack any one bit. Hinata’s lethal. He’s already interviewed all the witnesses and some potential partygoers while you’ve been dawdling.”

Though she sounded stern, Naegi knew what she was trying to say.

_You don’t have enough evidence right now. If you want a chance at proving his innocence, you have to be equal to your opponent – if not better._

“I get it. I’ll go.” He shone another grateful, though anxious, smile at Kirigiri. “The prosecution really is something, isn’t it?”

Surprisingly, Koizumi was the one who responded, with a loud scoff. “Hinata’s just a grumpy workaholic. And he gets ticked off at the silliest things.”

“Says you,” Kirigiri teased, and received a quick smack from the receptionist.

After glaring at the detective, Koizumi gave Naegi a reassuring smile. “You go out and get him, kid. Even though Togami’s a prick, I can place my bets that he isn’t a murderer to go with it.”

Naegi nodded, grinning weakly. “Thanks, Koizumi. I’m glad I’m not the only one who believes in my client.”

“Stop talking and go.” Pushed Kirigiri playfully, but the sharper edge of her tone left Naegi scrambling for the door. “Don’t come back unless you’ve found something out.”

“Will do.” He laughed, this time sincerely, before almost flying out the automatic doors. “Hey, Ishimaru.” He greeted the officer walking in, who looked shocked at his speedy exit.

“Have a good night, Naegi!” The policeman then shouted after him, with a moment’s delay. Naegi hopped on his bike and waved.

“I might see you when I come back,” he told the man, and then he set his wheels in motion.

The witness he had decided to chase up was the closest, and if he wasn’t wrong, would be working his shift right now – the waiter working at a restaurant named ‘Pear Waffles’ (which actually, contrary to its name, sold curry dishes and noodles… or so it seemed).

According to the data he had received, the waiter was 175cm (5’ 9”) tall, and was 27 years old, and knowing nothing else about the man but his name, Naegi entered ‘Pear Waffles’ under the guise of a happy customer – all the while keeping his eyes and ears peeled.

He hadn’t eaten, so he figured this was as good a time as any to catch a meal as well.

“Nagito,” he heard a woman complaining nearby, blinking her long lashes up at a man dressed in the full waiter ensemble, “Why do you work at this dingy old place? Why don’t you come work with me?”

“I’m really fine with working here,” ‘Nagito’ replied, rubbing his wrist as a sign of habit. “I like the quiet, and it’s convenient for me to get home, too.”

“It doesn’t suit you.” Piped another woman, colder than the first. “All the fumes, all the grunt work and all the cleaning.”

“No, it’s fine…” The waiter laughed airily, “I have tried working for higher-class areas such as the Togami-owned ‘Regal Beagle’ catering, but I’m just no good at it, that’s all. My luck seems to take me to the worst of places, haha…”

[REGAL BEAGLE CATERING]

Naegi, hiding behind his menu, was suddenly very intrigued. Fortunately, the ladies seemed to be as well.

Crudely, the first asked, “What? Did someone die?”

‘Nagito’ stiffened, but an easy smile spread across his face. “Something like that.”

“No way! For real? What happened?”

He opened his mouth to answer – though Naegi suspected from his expression that his answer was going to be absolutely anything but the truth – when the door to the establishment slammed open and a familiar face came barreling forward.

“Komaeda!” shrieked Hinata, the prosecutor looking as if he were going to strangle the waiter at any given moment. Naegi sank further into his seat, praying his opponent wouldn’t spot him.

“Hinata, what a lovely surprise!” Taking his leave from the ladies, Nagito – or to be more courteous, Komaeda, rushed forward to greet the fuming newcomer.

_Nagito Komaeda._ Naegi thought, letting the name settle in his mind. There was no doubt that he was the witness on the document, but he would have no chance of interrogating him whilst Hinata was here. The attorney settled for incidentally eavesdropping, because he was sure if he made any effort to leave, Hinata would already have seen him.

But still, he couldn’t deny he was curious, because he had never quite seen the prosecutor this level of angry before…

“What do you think you’re doing, giving me _forged evidence_?”

At that moment, Naegi felt his heart stop.

“What do you mean?” Komaeda asked cheerily, seeming oblivious to Hinata’s death stare.

Before he could consider the implications of Hinata’s accusation, Naegi found a waitress peering over at him, asking, “Sir, would you like to order a drink first?”

“S-sure,” he stammered, caught off-guard. “Iced tea, please.”

“Coming right up.”

When his eyes found the two again, Naegi watched as Hinata dragged Komaeda by the sleeve and pushed him into a booth. “Explain.” The prosecutor growled, as if there was fire in his eyes.

Komaeda didn’t so much as flinch. “I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about!”

“You know what I’m talking about.” Hinata hissed, and Naegi strained to hear their conversation, now that the chatter in the restaurant had started up again.

“To tell the truth, Hinata, doubting others is not a very attractive trait.”

“If I didn’t doubt, and have my doubts proven, then you’d be walking in a society full of criminals!”  Throwing up his arms, the prosecutor almost hit the other in the face. “I don’t give a flying toss where this so-called evidence came from, but if you’re going to give me fake evidence that could – as you know – ruin my entire career, of _fucking_ course I’m going to come after you for it!”

“I was there when it happened,” answered Komaeda calmly, smile clearly forced. “If that evidence is indeed fake and serves no relevance, I want you to prove it.”

“This is all a game to you, isn’t it? The one person who could turn this case around is making it into a big, shitty joke. Thanks a lot, Komaeda. Really. Wow. You’re such a great help.”

“It’s not a joke…” Komaeda responded quietly. Naegi admired the man’s resolve; certainly after this display, he wasn’t looking forward to facing off against an angry Hinata in court anytime soon.  A glass of iced tea appeared before him and he thanked the waitress kindly, drawing the straw up to his mouth and sipping at it; still behind his menu.

“Yeah. Keep telling yourself that. Like I believe that you handing me underwear as evidence in a murder case is not a big, fucking joke.”

Naegi just stopped himself from spitting out his tea.

“It’s not!” Komaeda immediately replied, tone as insistent as it was sincere, though his face flushed red in embarrassment and his eyes began to water. “I’m telling you, it’s not… that’s not… I wouldn’t give you something like that for any other reason, I swear. I’m not that kind of person.”

Hinata seemed to run out of fuel by that point and just stared at the waiter with narrowed eyes. “Perhaps.” His scowl deepened. “But when you’re on the witness stand and I hear you say anything that implies otherwise…”

[WITNESS’ … UNDERWEAR?]

“I understand, Hinata, don’t worry…”

“Good. Now that I’m here, could you give me your testimony again? I just need to make sure it matches up with the others.”

The attorney from a few table down stopped drinking his tea, though the straw remained in his mouth. Would it be wrong to overhear the information and just leave without the formalities? Perhaps he could speak with the witness after he’s finished… calling over a waiter, Naegi ordered a green curry and swapped his menu out for a massive newspaper.

“Okay, then, but I’m sorry if some details are a little hazy. I haven’t been known for having a great memory.” Komaeda laughed in an almost self-deprecating manner, but Naegi heard the vain attempts of trying to put the conversation at ease linger in his tone of voice, and had pity for him.

Hinata, to his credit, acted as if there was nothing wrong in the first place; though his expression still maintained its displeasure. “That’s fine. I just want to know the main points.”

“Your wish is my command.” Komaeda said softly, and after a moment, began, “I was a waiter at the party, having been hired by the … um, victim, to work for Regal Beagle and serve food. I had brought around desserts to the final tables, when I took a shortcut through the middle of the room back to the kitchen.”

“The shortcut… was across the dancefloor, right?”

“Yes. Right where the murder occurred. It was maybe bad timing or bad luck, but I tripped over just as someone was pulling out their chair, and crashed into someone else. That was when I heard the gunshot. I thought it was the sound of my tray dropping onto the ground, but as soon as I looked up, there was a dead body and a gun skidding across the floor, and then I knew.”

“And did you see who had done it?”

“No.” A shake of his head. “I was on the ground, so all I really saw was blood and lots of shoes around me. And a hand, like a ray of hope, which pulled me to my feet.”

 [KOMAEDA’S TESTIMONY]

Hinata seemed satisfied with the response, and tapped the table in thought. “I know I’ve asked this before, but, who helped you up again?”

“She didn’t give me her name, but she was… familiar, I’d say. Like I’ve seen her somewhere – maybe on TV – before…”

_Somewhere on TV?_ Naegi thought, fingers itching to draw out the guest list to go over again. _Come to think of it, wasn’t there some sort of performance at the party?_

[MYSTERY GIRL]

[PERFORMANCE AT PARTY]

“Well, that’s all I needed.” Hinata gave the table one last pat and stood up, stretching his arms out. “I’m still mad at you by the way. But thanks for co-operating. See you in court.”

Komaeda nodded, fidgeting in his seat. “I only hope that I can be of help to you, Hinata. I want to believe that with your talents, you can find the true killer in this case.”

“The culprit will definitely be walking out in chains, mark my words.” The prosecutor shot him a weary smile. “And as far as I’m concerned, that guilty party will be Byakuya Togami himself.”

Naegi gulped. He had a long case ahead of him. 


	4. Chapter 4

Wanting nothing more than to go home and call it a day, Naegi finished his food and begrudgingly took his bike back to the police station – having to wait until Hinata had left the vicinity and choosing to introduce himself briefly to Komaeda before he did so. The waiter had been quite amiable, or so he thought, but Komaeda’s shiftiness informed him that the witness was not going to go all-out in supporting him; because the man had seen something in Naegi that was hesitating.

 _“If you don’t believe wholly in winning this case – no matter what you say, I won’t believe it if you look at me like that – then you have no chance of even comparing to Hinata’s shining hope!”_ … or something. Naegi didn’t really want to know.

Kirigiri stood at the entrance, watching him chain up his bike, before he headed towards her.

“Hey,” she greeted. “How did it go?”

Naegi averted his gaze. “I got the testimony… more or less.”

“More or less?” The detective rolled her eyes. “Well, whatever. As long as you know what you’re doing. Come in. We finally got clearance to let you pay Togami a proper visit.”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah. Ishimaru talked him into it.” She flicked loose hair over her shoulder and motioned for him to enter the building.  “Don’t ask how. I don’t know.”

“Wait? Right now?”

“Yes. Don’t complain. That man is hard work.”

“I … okay.” Scuttling behind her, Naegi was led into the east wing of the station – where the detention center was located. He waved to Koizumi as they passed, but she was busy on the phone and only shot him a small smile.

They entered the bleak hallway from a door behind the receptionist’s desk, and Kirigiri nodded her head in the direction of a door. 307. “You want me to come with?” she asked.

“Do you want to?”

“Not particularly, no. But I’ll go if you need moral support.”

Feeling a little bit like he was being babied, Naegi shook his head and steeled his gaze – only slightly, as to not throw her off. “I’ll be fine, thanks.”

She shot him a tiny smile and crossed her arms. “Off you go, then.”

The defense attorney put out his hand and reached for the door knob, taking a breath before opening the door.

It was just like all the other visits he had made in the past – just stone walls and a table at which they were to converse. A glass screen divided him from his client, and something in Togami’s expression told him that it was all the better. He would probably hate to have to shake hands or bump fists, or whatever he thought it was that common people did to greet each other.

To be honest, Naegi didn’t want to, either.

He closed the door gingerly behind him and made his way over, seating himself in front of the heir, and tipping his head to the side in silent contemplation on how to start the conversation. This was the first time they had met face-to-face, after all. And Togami had made it explicitly clear that Naegi wasn’t defending him because he particularly _wanted_ him to, either.

“So, uh.” He cleared his throat. “How was your day?”

Togami deadpanned, looking critical as he assessed the lawyer in front of him. “Charming. I spent it in a jail cell, with the putrid stench of criminals.”

“… right. Yeah, sorry.” Naegi scratched the back of his neck, at a loss of what to say. Would it seem too cold to just start asking him about the case? The victim _was_ Togami’s father, after all…

After a few beats of nothing, Togami sighed, and massaged his temples. “Well? You have questions, don’t you? Make it quick, I haven’t got all night.”

The lawyer nodded hurriedly, glad for the breaking of the ice. “Ah! Yeah! I just want to know what you know – like, what happened that night?”

“You’re going to have to be more specific.”

“Don’t play around.” Naegi looked at him worriedly, “You _do_ want to get a not guilty verdict, right?”

“Hmph.”

Shaking it off quickly, Naegi moved to fulfil his true objective with the visit; “Do you want to give me an overview of what happened at the time of, or even before, the … murder?”

“Not particularly.” Togami barked stubbornly, turning his head to the side. “If you want information, you better be prepared to work for it, you imbecile. What is this? Your first case?”

Slightly offended, but not ready to let it show, Naegi pressed his lips together and tried once more. “Tell me what you saw when your father got murdered. Please.”

Togami seemed, at the very least, mildly satisfied with his sternness, and began with saying, “I had a gun in my hand when there was a bullet in his chest.”

“… I know that.” The attorney grumbled, starting to feel a little agitated. “But knowing that isn’t going to prove you innocent.”

“If you insist, I will tell you that I didn’t pull the trigger once. Never thought to. I was not even aware I was holding it until moments later.”

Naegi blinked. “Oh?”

“Tch, don’t look surprised. I would not stoop to that undermining foolishness to gain inheritance early.” He looked disgusted. “But others certainly would.”

“Who?”

His client smirked. “Who knows?”

[TOGAMI’S UNHELPFUL TESTIMONY]

Their time ended much earlier than Naegi would have wanted – he had questions burning in his mind now, but his difficult client would answer no more and Kirigiri had swept in telling him visiting hours were over.

He went to bed that night exhausted, and wondered if things would clear up during the rest of his investigation. Surely, there had to be a loophole he was missing somewhere…?

When Naegi woke up the next day, he felt not one bit better about the case than he did the day before. After getting ready, his first destination is the police station, because Kirigiri had demanded she get more time on the stupid report because something new had popped up and she was looking into it.

When he got there, he is met with the sight of a familiar man leaning up against the reception desk in deep thought.

Hajime Hinata.

Naegi didn’t know if he wanted to go up to him or run away, but Hinata spotted him first, and seemed to recognize him so there was no escape.

He supposed there were worse things than bumping into his upcoming adversary first thing in the morning, anyway, but Hinata also seemed considerably calmer than the day before, and Naegi praised himself for not cowering under the other’s sharp gaze.

“Hey.” Hinata greeted upon his approach, caution crossing his features. “You’re Naegi, right?”

“Y-yes! Makoto Naegi! Defense attorney!”

Hinata chuckled, looking amused at his show of nerves. “Well, I’m Hajime Hinata, prosecuting for your next case. Nice to meet you.”

“Yes, you too!”

“You okay there?”

“Fine!”

The prosecutor raised his eyebrows, but shrugged. “If you say so. Spoken to Togami yet?”

Naegi nodded reluctantly. “As much as I could.”

“Well, that’s one thing you’ve got that I don’t.”

The defense attorney looked up at him.

“Hey, just because we both know Togami’s going out in chains doesn’t mean we can’t try to have a fair trial, right?”

“He’s not going out in chains.”

Hinata laughed. “We’ll see. But show me what you’ve got. I think it’ll be interesting.”

“Are you bullying him, Hinata?” Koizumi suddenly cut in, emerging from the door behind the reception and giving the two lawyers a look-over.

“Not at all.” The prosecutor answered, waving at her. “By the way, do you have my files?”

“Ugh,” she rolled her eyes. “Yes. Just give me a minute.”

“1… 2…”

“No counting, you jerk.”

Naegi waited around for a moment, contemplating whether or not to ask for Kirigiri’s whereabouts.

“Oh, Naegi.” Hinata began, turning back to him. “Can I have your contact information?”

“Uh, why?”

“One of my friends needs a defense attorney. I was thinking I’d just send him to you. Since you’re here and all. I’ll forget later.”

“Sure…?” Naegi handed his information over.

“Thanks. Also, I’ll give you a tip.” Hinata said, index finger tapping at his phone. A vibration in Naegi’s pocket signalized a message, and he immediately assumed Hinata must have sent it. “Go see Sayaka Maizono today. She’s concealing something, and it’s all going to come clear in the trial. You might as well have a go at finding out what it is.”

“Sayaka Maizono.” Naegi repeated, running the name through his mind. Hadn’t he gone to middle school with a girl that had that name? “Got it. Thanks.”

With a slam of a folder, Koizumi hit Hinata on the head with his files. “Oi! Thanks for waiting.”

“Calm down!” He took them regardless and bowed towards her. “Thank you.”

She scoffed and sat back down.

Hinata smiled serenely, pushing himself off the reception desk and making his way to the door. Before he walked out, he said, “The odds are stacked against you, Naegi. You better be good at thinking fast.”

“I’ll do my best.” He called after his opponent.

“You better.” Hinata replied. He left the building, turned a corner and disappeared from sight.

“Maizono…” Naegi said aloud, thinking to himself.

“Oh yeah, her.” Koizumi spoke up. “Heard they paid her an insane amount to perform at the party your case is on. A surprise for the foreigners, of something.”

[PERFORMANCE AT PARTY: AMENDED TO “SAYAKA MAIZONO”]


	5. Chapter 5

The problem, it seemed, was not that Sayaka was apparently ‘concealing something’. Naegi was good with people, and surely she wouldn’t be too tough of a nut to crack (especially considering their short middle school history together).

The actual problem of the matter was that there was absolutely no way that Naegi, rookie defense attorney, could get into contact with Sayaka Maizono, national pop sensation – in the span of 8 hours (her apparent working hours). Unless he was lucky, of course, but Naegi didn’t like to rely so much on his luck.

Sayaka Maizono’s schedule was as confidential as confidential information could be, and Naegi also didn’t really want to stalk the poor idol for the sake of asking her questions about a murder that she probably had no part in whatsoever. Actually, he didn’t want to stalk anyone full stop. That was bad taste, and sort of (maybe a little too) rude.

Still, he paid a visit to Maizono’s agency with the smallest of hopes that she would answer the door and everything would go smoothly – but instead, the door opened to … Komaeda. Nagito Komaeda. The waiter from Pear Waffles. The attorney glanced over to the sign above the door, just to make sure he was in the right place. He was.

“Hello?” The waiter greeted, seeming ready to close the door once more.

“E-eh? What?” Naegi stammered, blinking up at the familiar face, and Komaeda tilted his head at him, studying him carefully.

“Hm?” A look of recognition followed by disappointment flashed across his face. Then, the waiter crossed his arms and almost moodily grumbled, “Oh, it’s you.”

“Yep… haha.” Recovering quickly, Naegi scratched the back of his neck. “I was wondering if I could talk to Maizono. If that’s okay?”

It did not look okay. Regardless, the waiter turned and opened his mouth.

“Sayaka! That attorney guy you wanted to talk to is here.” Komaeda called into the building, and the shuffling sounds of plastic bags was heard.

“Coming!” sung a cheery voice, and Naegi stiffened in his place. He did not expect her to be expecting him. He wondered if Hinata set him up to this. He didn’t have much longer to ponder this fact, however, when Sayaka came bouncing down the staircase, holding a handful of popsicles – thrusting one into Komaeda’s face, and gently offering another to Naegi.

“Thanks…” He replied, accepting it out of courtesy. It was a lot more intimidating to see Sayaka in person than he thought. Her long navy hair flowed in loose curls, and her dress was a pale blue – so very much the same Maizono from middle school that he remembered, but also so very different. She was somehow even prettier than he remembered.

“Hm,” She blinked, surveying him up and down. “You _do_ look familiar! I knew I remembered correctly; welcome, welcome! Naegi, am I right?”

“Yes!” He gulped, and straightened his shoulders, mentally slapping himself for sounding so eager. He cleared his throat. “So… do you know why I’m here? Actually, do you have time to talk right now?”

“Sure, thing. Come inside,” Sayaka giggled. “We’ll have a long chat. Lots to catch up on, after all! Ah, I haven’t seen you in years…” She skipped indoors without another word, seeming too caught up in her own world to notice that he hadn’t followed yet.

“Alright,” Naegi answered with a delay, and to his surprise, Komaeda had already finished half the popsicle and was waiting impatiently for him to get in so he could close the door. The brunet smiled sheepishly, stepping inside. “Sorry. Thanks for holding the door.”

“It’s useless, you know,” the waiter said, a wry smile on his lips. He turned the key in the lock, and ushered the defense attorney after Sayaka’s path. “You’re barely trying. I know that within you, a deep hope is sleeping, but if you can’t reach into it… you’ve lost the case already.”

Naegi frowned, feeling mildly insulted and having no idea why. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”  

“It’s simple, really!” Komaeda laughed, even though the situation wasn’t funny in the slightest. “Do you believe that there’s hope for Byakuya Togami?”

“I do,” Naegi bit out, eyes filled with determination. “Even if you and everyone else believe that he did it… I will prove to you all that he didn’t.”

“A little louder for the people in the back, Naegi,” Komaeda chuckled, but before the brunet could respond, he was already walking off, waving to his left. “Sayaka’s in there. Don’t be too long. She has to be at the clinic at 11.”

Nodding and taking a deep breath to compose himself, Naegi stepped into the room with the words, “Nice house.”

Sayaka span around and shot him a stellar smile, all pearly white teeth showing, and a healthy glow in her cheeks. “It is, isn’t it? The agency’s only renting it for a month, though. I’m going with the girls on tour in two weeks, so there’s not much point in keeping it.” She pat the arm of the couch. “Come, sit down. Do you want anything to drink?”

“No, thank you,” he smiled and took a seat, folding his arms across his chest. “Komaeda said you had to leave in half an hour, so is it fine if I just get to the point? We can definitely meet up another time if you want to catch up… that is, if you’re okay with that, of course.”

“Oh, right! I completely forgot about that!” She beamed right back, plopping down on the armchair opposite Naegi. “Certainly. I guess business comes first when it comes down to it, huh? Fire away. You’re here because of the Togami case, right?”

Naegi nodded. “Why do you seem to know everything before I even mention it?”

“Komaeda’s been telling me things,” she grinned. “For a shady guy like him, it’s actually not too surprising that he knows so much. Though don’t tell him I said that! … even though he’d probably agree.”

He nodded again, not knowing Komaeda well enough to make a well-prepared comment. “So… do you two live together or…?”

“No, no,” She laughed, as if the very idea was ridiculous. “He just comes to eat my food and gossip. When he brought up your case, that had me intrigued, and because I can already tell Komaeda’s taken the prosecution’s side, I thought – hey! I’m gonna take the defense’s side! So don’t worry, he won’t be snitching information from me.”

Naegi wondered if he should point out that _this is not a game_.

“Oh… well, fair enough.” He sighed. “Welcome to the … team…?”

“Why thank you, my good sir!” Sayaka clapped her hands together and nodded twice. “So, how should I start? Just tell you what happened that night as far as I remember?”

“That would be … good, yeah. Start from wherever you think is most relevant.”

“Alright!” She hummed, as if deciding what to say next. “First things first, when I got on stage, the lights were so bright I couldn’t see a thing! Who knows what time it was, but after the first few sets, Ayaka told me that we needed a break, because her eyes were hurting, and of course we couldn’t have that!”

She took a breath, before continuing.

“So Ayakasu and I got the girls off the stage, and then I found myself wandering alone.”

“Alone…?”

“Yep. I didn’t know where anybody was, so I started to look for them myself. And then, I heard two loud sounds! Bang, bang! So I turned around, and bodies on the floor! Everywhere!”

Naegi felt a bead of sweat roll down his face. Well, that certainly didn’t line up with everyone else’s testimonies. “Everywhere… you say…?”

“Hm, maybe I’m exaggerating,” she amended, with a thoughtful look on her face. “But there was definitely more than one. And the cord from my microphone was missing, the moment I got back onto stage.”

[MICROPHONE CORD]

“But,” Naegi ventured. “Did you keep performing after that?”

“After the death?” It sounded awkward coming from Sayaka, but he figured it was just the way the words didn’t match up to her image. “Well, we couldn’t even if we wanted to. Not without the microphone. Ayakasu fetched me a megaphone though, and I used that to calm everyone down. I helped a few people up, too. That’s why I said; there was more than one body on the floor! But I didn’t mean they were dead, hahaha!”

[SAYAKA’S TESTIMONY]

“One final question,” Naegi said, disregarding the slightly morbid way Sayaka started to talk about things. He wondered if she was not aware of the weight of the situation yet or if she was simply choosing to ignore it.

“Yes? What is it?”

“Did you see – or, uh, did you immediately assume – that Togami murdered his own father?”

Sayaka smiled. “Of course not. That would be impossible.”

_That was a fast response._ Naegi narrowed his eyes, swallowing hard.

He watched as the pop star's smile widened, and, maintaining complete eye contact, he asked warily, “How come?”

Again, her response was instant.

“Because his father was already dead.”


End file.
